The surfaces of other rocky planets appear to have been affected by ancient volcanic activity, but this would not have been caused by plate tectonics, a geological process that is exclusive to Earth. Mars contains volcanic plains formed by past eruptions and inactive shield volcanoes that are much more massive than Earth’s volcanoes; Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the entire Solar System, stands at about 2.5 times the height of Mt. Ancient volcanic activity shaped the lunar crust of Earth’s own Moon — lunar maria, basaltic plains visible on the Moon, are the result of lava flows filling basins that were left by meteorite impacts.
Author: Jack Knudson
Published at: 2025-04-01 22:00:00
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